Side car for motor-cycles.



F. G. EDWARDS & 0. J. HUNTER.

SIDE OAR FOR MOTOR OYGLES.

APPLIOATION 2mm JULY 2, 1912.

Patented June 3, 1913.

2 SHEETS-*SHEBT 1.

Queen:

P. G. EDWARDS & G. J. HUNTER.

SIDE CAR FOR MOTOR CYCLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1012.

Patented June 3, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

anvwwliod Charles J/ /LLI zier Z Edllfardg tlht SAES Pttiitlltl? it tltti l-llttllfl.

FENDALL C. EDWARDS AND CHARLES J. HUNTER, OF NEW'PORT NEWS. VIRGINIA.

" SIDE CAR FOR MOTOR-CYCLES.

Specification of letters Iatent.

.tat cnted J'u no 3, 191 3.

Application filed July 2, 1M2, Serial No. 707,274.

1 tion.

This invention relates to lll'lPIOVBIIlUHtS in motorcycle attachments and has particular application to what are commonly termed side cars, whereby the carrying or passenger apacity of the machine may be increased.

In carrying out the present invention, it is our purpose to provide an attachment of the class described which when applied to the vehicle, will be capable of having move-- mentrelatively thereto so that the vehicle and attitu-hmcnt may move independently of each other in the event of either one meeting inetpialities in the roadway or in the path of travel.

It is also our purpose to provide a. side on attachment for motorcycles and the like vehicles which will embrace the desired features of simplicity, elliciency, durability and convenience coupled with cheapness of cost in tminutacture and marketing and which may be applied to any type of motor ve' hicle now in general use without materially affecting the structure of such vehicle or resorting to elaborate changes.

With the above recited objects in view and others of a similar nature the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and tailing within the scope of the claims.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a p rspective view of a motorcycle show-- ing our attachment applied. Fig. 2 is a rear \iew ol the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the attachment 1 removed from the machine. Fig. at is a horn zontal sectional view thereof. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of one of the conneetioms between the attatdnnent and the vehicle. hill. 6 'a a similar view ol another connection. net'rtion.

it e t cirl rig drawings in now to the detail, the letter A indicates a Fig. 7 is a lilte view of a further t-onaccompanying i conventional I'orm of motorcycle which may be ol' any approved or wcllknown construction, while ll denotes our attachment or side car as an entirely.

()ur improved side car or attachment, in the present instance, includes an elongated base 1 having l'ormcd therein adjacent to one end thereof an elongated slot 2, while depending l'rom the under surface of the base at: the opposite sides ol the slot therein :(hd approximately centrally ol the width ot such slot, are bearings 31- -;5 designed to receive an axle supporting a ground wheel 5 extending into the slot in the base and rotatable therein. l'lxtending uyuvardly from the base 1 at the opposite side of the slot therein and suitably spaced apart are semicircular plates t3 -t'| l'astcned in any suitable manner to the respective portions of the ba e, a segmental strip 7 being fastened onto the peripheral edges of the plates and spanning the space between the same with the oll'et-t. to cover the wheel, the opposite ends oi the segmental plate being fastened to the baae 1 adjacent to the ends ol. the slot. seat 1 is appropriately 't'astencd to the plate 7 or clamped thereto in any suitable manner and is located in alinemcnt with the :l1\'lc-l ol' lhc wheel I; so to bring about an even and unilornt distribution of the weight ot' a passenger upon such seat. The free end ol' the base I, that is, the cod remole l'rom the slot 2, is designed to form a tool rest tor the l'ct-t ot' the passenger and substantially incloaing Fll 'll end of the base it; a hood 5 adapted to int-ant the l'cct ol the pasrnrtr, \vhilc suitably pivoted to the said end ol the llimt is a handle ltl. which, in the present cmln-dinu-nt ot our invention, cnn bracts a reibstantially t.l-+hapcd yolte, as clearly illttdratcd in the drawings. the illtt-ltronncl'ting l zlr ol the limbs til the yoke being disposed in proximity to the passenger upon the seat so that the same may be grasped by the hands.

'lbe above h-t a tlcst-ription ol' the detail me hanical l'eal nrcs ol' our improved attachmcnt ol' Hltlt' cal and in order to emuiect. such side car to th vehicle or motorcycle we emplot a number ol connectors including uni .'cr.-al jointa, such joints permitting movement ol the side car relatively to the vehicle in all directions. Thus, should the attachment strike a depression, or hump, in the roadway, the same may move without affecting the equilibrium of the operator upon the motorcycle. On the other hand, should the motorcycle or propelling vehicle meet with an obstruction in the roadway, such vehicle will be capable of movement with respect to the side car, thereby avoiding'sul'ijecting the passenger to unnecessary shock or vibration. Similarly, when the propelling vehicle and side car take a curve, the side car will have more or less fore and aft movement to enable the same to take the curve gradually and without unnecessary jar or jolt, the passenger asvwell as the 0pcrator leaning or inclining themselves in the same direction, usually toward the center of the curve to enable the vehicle and attachment to proceed evenly and uniformly in its course of travel.

Surrounding the base 1 and suitably fastened to the edges thereof is a strap 11, shown more specially in Fig. 5, having the free extremities of its limbs overlapping each other and bent at right angles to themselves to form a lateral extension 12, the free end of such extension being socketed as at 13. Suitably fastened within the socket 13, as by brazing or the like, is one" member of a universal joint, such joint, in the present instance, consisting of a'shank 14 having one extremity within the socket while the opposite extremity is formed with a ball 15 universally movable within a socket 16 formed in an attaching plate 17, the latter being adapted to be fastened to an appropriate part of the propelling vehicle, such, for instance, as the crank case of the motor.

In Fig. (3, we have shown a form of attachment designed to be utilized to connect one side edge of the base 1 to the lower extremity of the rear fork of the propelling vehicle. This connection, inthe embodiment of our invention selected for illustrative purposes,

embodies a substantially Y-shapcd metallic yoke consisting of the outwardly diverging limbs 18--18 having their meeting ends suitably bolted together as at if) and formed to provide a socket 20, the latter receiving a ball 21 having a soi-kctcd shank 22 designed to receive a stud carried by the lower end of the rear fork of the motorcycle, the ball and socket forming a universal connection at this point, Bolted or otherwise fastened to the adjacent side edge of the base 1, are hinge members 2;) -93 suitably spaced apart and provided with pintle pins Q-t---i2t passed through ears in the hinge members and apertures in the respective ends of the Y-shaped yoke. Thus, a pivot or hinge joint. is formed between the base of the side car and the free ends' of the limbs of the V-shaped yoke which permits of an up and down movement of the side car relatively to the propelling vehicle and independently of the universal joint formed by the ball and socket 21 and 20, respectively.

The connection between the upper surface of the side car or attachment and the pro pelling vehicle is effected through the medium of a socket member 25 suitably fastened to an appropriate part of the motor-. cycle at the rear of the seat thereon and receiving a stem 26 formed at one end with a ball 97 disposed within a socket 28in one end of a connecting bar 29, the free end of the latter being relatively large and socketed as at 30 to receive a ball 31 equipped with an attaching plate 32 bolted or otherwise fastened to the topmost point of the attachment and beneath the seat on such attachment.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and manner of employing our invention will be readily apparent. It will, be seen that we have provided a side car which may be attached to and de-' tached from a motorcycle or similar vehicle so as to Vary the passenger capacity of such vehicle. Furthermore, it will be noted that the side car .is capable of longitudinal and vertical movement relatively to or independently of the propelling vehicle, thereby enabling the motorcycle and attachment to proceed in the path of travel without affecting each other, incident to meeting obstructions in the roadway and other causes.

\Vhile we have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of our invention by way of illustration, it is to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the precise details of construction herein described and delineated,.as modifications and variations may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. For instance, any suitable form of universal joint may be employed to effect the connections between the side car and the propelling vehicle the ball and socket construction of such joint herein defined being merely for thesake of example.

It may be here stated, and it will be read ily seen, that the seat upon the attachment or side car may be removed and the side car converted into a luggage or lmggage carrier.

We claim:

1. A side car adapted for attachment to a motorcycle and comprising a base having a slot therein adjacent to one end thereof, bearings depending from said base at the opposite sides of the slot therein, an axle journaled in said bearings, a wheel on he axle and within the slot, semi-circular plates secured to the upper surface of said base at the opposite sides'of the slot therein and spaced apart, a segmental strip secured to the peripheral edges of said plates, 21 seat upon said plate at the center thereof, and a foot rest formed at the free end of said base. 2. The combination with a motorcycle, of a side can adapted for attachment thereto, and connections between said motorcycle and said car, said connections inchiding a strap substantially inclosing the side car, it universal joint between the strap and the moiUZCyClH, a (shaped yoke, hinge connectiom between said yoke and side car, it universal l joint connecting the yoke to the motorcycle, :1 connecting our, and universal joints hetween the connecting bar and.the side car and the bill and the motorcycle.

in testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

PENIDJYLL C. EDVARDS. CHARLES J. HUNTER. VJiincssv J. M. HARRIS,

M. l1. Limo. 

